Maïmouna Guerresi The journey of the Sparrowhawk

Hafez Gallery in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Jeddah
Present
Maïmouna Guerresi
The journey of the Sparrowhawk
A solo show
curated by Manuela De Leonardis
Opening on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 7,30 p.m.
"The journey of the Sparrowhawk" is the first exhibition by Maïmouna Guerresi in Saudi Arabia,
with Manuela De Leonardis as curator and on show at the Hafez Gallery in collaboration with the
Consulate General of Italy in Jeddah.
The exhibition is a selection of works that include photographs, installations and site specific piece.
The title is taken from the work Sparrowhawk 1, a photographic diptych from 2014 in which the
themes of loyalty and pride are explored, together with mystery and journeys. These are the key
themes of the well-known Italian artist who converted to Islam.
In particular, this swift bird of prey is the main protagonist of the ancient hunting practice of
falconry, which in 2010 obtained recognition from Unesco as an important element in the Oral
Heritage of Humanity in three Gulf countries: Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar.
In all the works from Suspension, Faluka and Rey Bouba, which belong to the series of "Giants"
(2010) the influence of prospective studies of the great masters from the
Pre-Renaissance and Renaissance period (Giotto, Masaccio, Piero Della Francesca) is visible.
Maïmouna works on multiple levels of interpretation, offering insights that open windows onto
spaces that are both intimate and universal, introducing issues related to otherness, respect,
tolerance and inter-cultural awareness.
The theme of light is developed in several works, including Illumination 2 (2010) and Light
Minaret (2016), both visual constructions whose symbolism refers to that particular quality in the
Islamic aesthetic vision and which is able to produce a sense of inner harmony in the observer.
In the altarpiece M-eating. The light Salt (2013), the scene unfolds along seven panels in which the
female figures are given the task of feeding, through the symbolism of large salt crystals. This
element is echoed in the work Salt Wind-Annunciation (2013) and in the site specific piece. This
precious commodity has since ancient times been valued for its essential nutritional role and as the
alchemical symbol of wisdom, knowledge, incorruptibility and light.
In the work of Maïmouna Guerresi the conceptual approach to her art always coincides with
technical accuracy, which is the result of the involvement the artist in every phase of her work.
Maïmouna Guerresi is a Italian photographer, sculptor, and video installation artist who lives
between Italy and Senegal. Maïmouna travelled to various Muslim countries in Africa and
converted to Islam in Senegal. This marked a turning point in her life and afforded a new identity
and direction for her work. She soon adopted the Muslim Arabic name Maïmouna and began
working with recurring themes related to multicultural symbolism and feminine spirituality.
Her work has been extensively exhibited in solo and group shows all over Europe, Africa, the
United States, Asia, and the Middle East. Guerresi was invited to participate in the Italian pavilion
at the Venice Biennale in 1982-1986-2011 as well as Documenta K18 (1987) in Kassel, Germany.
Among her recent exhibitions: 2016, Islamic Art Now, Part
II: Contemporary Art from the
Middle East, Lacma Museum, Los Angeles; 2016 Stux & Haller Gallery, New York, with
collaboration Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, U.S.A; M.E.F Museo Ettore Fico,Turin, Italy; Venaria
Reale Torino, Italy; 2015, Talwin, Matèria Gallery, curated by Niccolò Fano, Rome, Italy; Le
Souflle des Géants, Villa Gautieri, Casalbeltrame, Novara and Il Sale e la Luce, Villa Ghirlanda and
Mufoco, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Cinisello Balsamo, curated by Studio Copernico,
Italy; Light Bodies Volta NY, New York and Seattlle, curated by Mariane Ibrahim Gallery, WA,
U.SA; 2015, Re-signification, Museo Ettore Bardini, Florence; 2014, Islamic Art Festival 16°
edition, National Museum of Sharjah, UAE; Sconfinamenti #2”, 57th Festival of the Two Worlds,
Rocca Albornoziana, Spoleto, Italy; India Through the Lens, National Museum of Bahrain, UAE;
2013, Biennale Chobi Mela, Dhakka, Banglades; Concava, F.A.R Museum in Rimini, Italy; M-eating, Camhane Art Center, collateral exhibition for the Istanbul Biennal Turkey; Mystic Black
Body, Pole de la Photographie, France; Ici, là et au-delà" Cultural Institute of Islam, Paris, France;
2012, Inner Space, National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India; 2011, Ars11, KIASMA
Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland ; The Giants rooms, French Institute, Fez,
Morocco; Colèr et pudeur de femme ,Fondation Boghossian, Villa Empain, Brussels; 2010, The
Giants rooms Central Eletrique, Brussels; See You See me, Museu da Cidade Pavilhao Lisboa,
Portugal; 2009, Biennal “Les Rencontres de Bamako” the National Museum of Bamako, Mali ;
2008, The Giants rooms Museum Filatoio of Caraglio , Cuneo, Italy; 2007, Velo, Museum Filatoio
of Caraglio ; Il settimo splendore, Palazzo della Ragione,Verona, Italy; 2004,Under Different
Circumstances, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, USA. Her work is included in private and public
collections worldwide, including The Boghossian Foundation, Belgium; Museo dʼarte
Contemporanea Palazzo della Ragione, Italy; European Investment Bank, Luxembourg; Tasveer
Foundation, India; M.I.A Minneapolis Institute of Art, USA; and Lacma Museum, USA.
Hafez Gallery 3rd Floor Bougainvillea, King Abdulaziz Road, Next to
Stars Avenue. Jeddah, KSA.
T: +966 12 6134111- M: +966 555517000 - http://www.hafezgallery.com/